"Well, it was very casual," says Ann. "As a family, we would sit around the piano and sing. We'd dance around in the living room, that sort of thing. He'd scat, and I picked it up." The two Callaways will be performing a bit more formally next weekend, in special Father's Day shows at Yvette's. "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" will be performed June 19 only, at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. ("We're actually going to rehearse," Ann confesses.) Ann opens a three-night run at Toulouse Cognac Bar starting Thursday.

"I'll sing a few songs, I'll throw discretion to the wind," says the self-effacing John about the Father's Day show. "Let me tell you, the shock is so great that people are usually forgiving. The expectations are so low."

Not so, says Ann. "Actually, he's good, he swings, he swings real well," she says. "A few years back, at a journalists' talent show, Sammy Cahn was one of the judges and he heard him and told him he's a natural singer. Let me tell you, he was thrilled."

In addition to broadcast journalism, golf and music are John's big loves. His mother was a fine pianist who introduced him to George Gershwin and Cole Porter. "Then I started to hang out at Figaro's and the Old Town Ale House, both of which had great jukeboxes and great jazz presences," he says. "I began to absorb all that. I started to scat in the 1950s, just around the house. And I had this great jazz collection which I inflicted on everyone in the house."

Both daughters, Ann and Liz, a successful actress and singer in her own right, picked up their dad's love of music and launched showbiz careers.

Ann has become something of a critic's darling, with raves for her live performances at such venerable jazz places as New York's Algonquin Hotel and Rainbow & Stars. She's performed at Carnegie Hall and Orchestra Hall and recently wrote and performed the theme song for the CBS sitcom, "The Nanny." Her CD debut, "Ann Hampton Callaway," drew applause from the New York Times, the L.A. Times and New York magazine.

A second CD, "Bring Back Romance," will be released in September (but will be available during her Chicago run at the shows).

"(John's) been nothing but supportive," says Ann. "He sends flowers to every opening night. He's very proud." When she was booked to sing before 50,000 people for the unveiling of the AIDS quilt, John flew in. "But he was late, so he missed it," she says with a laugh.

"We had a nice lunch," says John, whose schedule is often daunting. Besides his regular "Chicago Tonight" duties, he recently has released "The Thing of It Is," a collection of essays, and has been busy trying to save the Benton Fellowships, a program for broadcast journalists at the University of Chicago that he founded.

"When we talk, it's very deep and satisfying," says Ann. "We have a deep connection," says John, "musically, and otherwise."

When "Tongues Untied" premiered on PBS, it caused a sensation: It was the first time the nation had heard African-American gay men speak for and about themselves. The documentary-a mix of history, humor and sensuality-is best known for two things: It caused North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms to howl about public monies, and it certified the arrival of a major talent in its director, Marlon Riggs. Even then, though, a lot of us knew: Marlon didn't have long among us. Earlier this year, he finally succumbed to complications from AIDS. His latest project, "Black Is/Black Ain't," a documentary on black identity, was left unfinished.

In order to honor Marlon, and to raise funds to complete "Black Is/Black Ain't," the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago Filmmakers, Kupona Network, Outlines/Nightlines, Center for New Television, Women in the Director's Chair, and the Video Data Bank are all hosting "In Celebration of Marlon Riggs," a video screening and public gathering honoring the life and work of the Emmy-winning artist. The celebration will feature a 10-minute excerpt from "Black Is/Black Ain't," as well as a retrospective including clips from "Tongues Untied," "Anthem," and "Je Ne Regrette Rien."

The event is hosted by Robert Ford, publisher and editor of Thing magazine. There's no cover but donations toward the completion of "Black Is/Black Ain't" are encouraged.